Recently I got to sit down and talk with the John Wayne Foundation. Preserving the Heritage of the American West has been a life long goal of mine and John Wayne in his larger than life persona embodies the American West. I was lucky enough to be in Fort Worth Texas last fall and got to see the new John Wayne Museum and meet Ethan, one of his sons! That happened by accident as we happened to be staying at the same hotel! On their website there are fantastic profiles of wonderfully talented people whose talents and personalities really do highlight living the American Western Dream! Here is an excerpt:

Born, raised and residing in Provo, Utah, Nicholas was, from the start, lost to the genre that continues to define his 21-year career. When his ocean-loving wife once suggested he consider seascapes, for example, Nicholas kindly reminded her, “I don’t live by the ocean. I live in the foothills of the Wasatch Front. I’ve hunted, fished trapped, rode horses through the hills and out in the sage brush.” In sum, he says, “I’ve painted what I’ve thought I’ve known,” clarifying that “every time I think I might know a thing, I discover dozens of things that I don’t know.” Constant curiosity is this painter’s M.O. “I want to see the world,” Nicholas adds. “Really the whole world. The West is huge and vast. It’s easy to think we’ve seen it all before. I don’t think I ever will!”

I highly recommend taking a look, not only at my article but on the fantastic other articles as well. There is also the John Wayne Cancer Foundation that does a lot of important work. I will put a link to site, have a great day!

https://www.johnwayne.com/jwjournal/2021/10/21/call-of-the-canvas